1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for testing telephony-based interactive response systems such as messaging platforms based on using bulk call generators configured for generating DTMF digits according to prescribed scripts.
2. Description of the Related Art
The evolution of the public switched telephone network has resulted in a variety of voice applications and services that can be provided to individual subscribers and business subscribers. Such services include voice messaging systems that enable landline or wireless subscribers to record, playback, and forward voice mail messages. One such example includes unified communications systems that provide messaging services for users by providing an integrated platform for the storage and retrieval of different types of messages, such as voicemail, e-mail, fax, etc.
An important consideration in developing and testing an interactive response system is the ability to test the interactive response system (i.e., device under test) under conditions that would normally be encountered during deployment of the device under test. For example, a messaging system configured for receiving multiple call channels (e.g., 100 call channels) needs to be able to reliably handle multiple requests received on the respective call channels. Conventional testing systems use bulk call generators, such as the Ameritec AM2-DX Self-Contained ISDN PRI (T1) Call Generator, for generating simulated loads by generating DTMF digits on multiple call channels, according to prescribed scripts. In particular, the script specifies playing a single DTMF digit or a sequence of DTMF digits, followed by playing another DTMF digit (or sequence thereof) after waiting a prescribed time interval (e.g., waiting a prescribed number of seconds).
Although bulk call generators are helpful in generating a simulated load for a device under test, bulk call generators to date are not configured for measuring (i.e., quantifying) the performance characteristics of the device under test under increasing load conditions. In particular, the increased use of processor resources within the interactive response system during load conditions may result in a greater delay in responding to requests, for example requests to initiate a prompt or requests to retrieve a message. Hence, there is a need for the ability to quantitatively measure the performance characteristics of the device under test under increasing load conditions.
A problem in measuring the performance characteristics involves identifying whether the appropriate message or prompt was played at a given point in time: although bulk call generators can be configured by scripts to generate a prescribed sequence of DTMF digits that simulate a prompt sequence input by a user, the bulk call generators are incapable of interpreting a spoken prompt for content. Moreover, speech recognition resources have severe processing requirements, hence are not practical additions to the bulk call generator in an attempt to interpret a prompt for content.
There is a need for an arrangement that enables a bulk call generator to measure the response time of a telephony-based interactive response system in an economical and scalable manner.
These and other needs are attained by the present invention, where a bulk call generator is configured for measuring the response time of a telephony-based interactive response system by detecting the presence of prescribed signaling messages and in-band prompts, where the in-band prompts include tones (such as DTMF tones) recognizable by the bulk call generator. In particular, the tones enable the bulk call generator to uniquely identify a corresponding message, for example a test greeting generated by the telephony-based interactive response system, or a test message retrieved for playback by the telephony-based interactive response system. Hence, the bulk call generator can measure the response time across all channels of a telephony-based interactive response system in an economic and scalable manner, for verification that prescribed prompts and/or messages are played by the telephony-based interactive response system.
One aspect of the present invention provides a method in a bulk call generator of measuring a response time of a telephony-based interactive response system. The method includes sending a command to the telephony-based interactive response system for at least one of deposit of a message and retrieval of a message, and measuring a response time for the telephony-based interactive response system to respond to the command. The measurement of a response time for the telephony-based interactive response system enables test engineers to measure the performance of a device under test, namely the telephony-based interactive response system, as the device under test is dynamically loaded with increasing loads, using a conventional bulk call generator with minimal modifications.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a test system comprising a bulk call generator and a telephony-based interactive response system. The bulk call generator is configured for measuring a response time based on reception of a prescribed response to a sent command. The telephony-based interactive response system is configured for outputting prescribed responses to received commands, the prescribed responses including signaling responses and in-band responses. Each in-band response includes a corresponding unique tone recognizable by the bulk call generator, where the bulk call generator is configured for measuring the response time for a selected one of the in-band prescribed responses based on detection of the corresponding unique tone.
Additional advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the present invention may be realized and attained by means of instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.